Hay-rack clamp.



lfm-774,861. PTENTED NOV. l5, 1904.

G. WBN'ZBLMANN.

AY RACK CLAMP.

l OATION FILED FEB. 19, 1904.

No MODEL. 2 sums-SHEET 1.

v l :l

I l l VfB PATENTED NOV. l5, 1904.

G. WENZELMANN. HAY RACK CLAMP.

APPLIGATIQN FILED H1119, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

No MODEL.

GUSTAVE WENZ'ELMANN,

Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT OEE-Iori..

OF STREATOR, ILLINOIS.

HAY-RACK CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters Patent No. 774,861, dated November15, 1904.

Applicatonled February 19, 1904. Serial No. 194,347. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom tpm/cry concern,.-

Be it known that I, GUsTAvE WENZELMAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Streator, Lasalle county, Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Rack Clamps; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.`

This invention relates to improvements in clamps Adesigned to secure alongitudinal and transverse timber or cross-sills of any desiredconstruction together in unvarying relation, and is shown moreparticularly in relation with a hay-rack, though obviously. theconstruction is useful .for any purpose in which it is desired to securetimber, beams, or the like one upon another at an angle with each other.A.

With the cross-sill supports or clamps heretofore devised it has notbeen practicable to secure the timbersor cross-sills together at anangle other than that for which the clamps are specially constructed,(usually a right angle.) It is also true that in many of the priorconstructions, owing to the short bearing of the intermediate plate uponthe timbers or. engaged members, maximum strength has notv been secured.

It is the object of this invention to provide a clamping device adaptedto rigidly secure cross sills or timbers together for any desiredpurpose at any desired angle with each other without cutting, boring, orotherwise weakening the structure.

It is also an object to afford a long bearing for each timber upon theother, thereby greatly increasing the strength of the construction.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described, andmore fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a hay-rack orother structure to which my invention is applied.` Fig. 2 is a similarView showing one of the longitudinal members secured at other than aright angle with the transverse member or members. Fig. 3 is an enlargedfragmentary detail of the construction. Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views andedge views, respectively, of the bottom washer. Fig. 6 is an enlargedfragmentary transverse section illustrating the application of theclamp. Fig. 7 is an enlarged top plan View of the intermediateanglefplates adapted to engage between the supporting and the supportedtimber or timbers. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of one of the intermediateangleplates. Fig. 9 is a top ,plan view of the upper washer ortie-plate. Fig. lO is a section taken on line 10 10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11is a fragmentary section taken on line 11 11, as Fig. 7, showing thetimber or the'connecting members in plates. Fig. 12 is a section on line12 12 of Fig. 8. Fig. 18 is a slightlymodified fragmentary plan view ofthe intermediate members, illustratingaslightly-modilied means forconnecting the same., Fig. 14 is a transverse section of the same.

As shown in said drawings, the invention is for convenience indicated asapplied to a hayrack, though obviously adapted for any other purposes. AA indicate the longitudinal members or sills of the rack, which areusually formedof parallel planks of a suiiicient thickness and width andwhich are connected transversely at the bottom by any desired number oftransverse ties B B. Across the top of said sills A extend thetransverse beams which may be of any desired size or length and affordthe lateral extension for the rack.

C C" indicate angle plates or bars of any size, length, or width toprovide a desired length and width of bearing for the members to beengaged thereby. The web of each of said angle-plates is provided with acentral aperture adapted to receive a pin'c, which holds said plates,one upon the other, from slipping, and said plates are placed with theiianges thereof oppositely directed and the web of one contacting withthe web of the other, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, and are interposedbetween the members to be engaged together, the flange of each extendingalongd the side of the member engaged and afford-ing a rigid bearing andbrace therefor. Extending across the top of the uppermost sill member(in the present instance the beam b) is a washer or hearing-plate c',provided,as shown,

IOO

with a longitudinal groove in its top, in which rests the bend of thehooked bolt D, which engages over the joint formed by the intersectionof said timbers formed by the lap of said crossed sills and the ends ofwhich extend through the transverse tie member B. Washers (l areprovided below the tie members, through which the end or ends of saidbolts extend and beneath which engage the nuts (Z, by which are firmlydrawn and secured together the connected members, thus holding them inunvarying relation. The pin c is provided with somewhat pointed ends,which indent and are bedded in the upper and lower members and serve tohold the same from any tendency to slip.

Obviously as the angle-plates C C are unconnected other than by the pinc they may be adjusted at any desired angle with respect to each other,thus enabling sill members to be connected at any desired angles witheach ot-her, as shown in Fig. 2, in which the constructions are asbefore described, with the exception that one of the longitudinal sillmembers (indicated by A) is arranged obliquely with the correspondingsill A. The clamp engages the sills firmly together, however, and may beengaged over either the longer or shorter bearing, as preferred.

1f preferred and conveniently, one of the angle-bar or plate sectionsmay be provided with a plurality of apertures arranged concentric withthe aperture for the central pin, as shown in Fig. 8, and the other ofsaid angle-plates C3 in this event is provided with one or moredownwardly-turned projections c4, which may be formed by punching themetal inwardly, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 1l, or in any preferredmanner. Said inwardlyturned projections of the angle-plate C3 areadapted to engage in one or more of the apertures in the angle-plate C2,enabling' said angle-plate section to be interlocked at any of the moreusual and convenient angles at which the members to be connected arelikely to be joined. If preferred, also,the upper bearing-strap for theclamping-bolt can be constructed as shown in Figs. 9 and l0, in Which acasting or forging is provided with peripheral rib, affording alongitudinal recess therein in the top of said strap, and is aperturedat its ends to receive the ends of the clamping bolt or bolts, which maybe ordinary bolts c, as shown in Fig. 1l, or may be a bent or hookedclamping-bolt D, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive. 1n thisconstruction the bearing-strap Eis provided with one or more spurs onthe under side thereof adapted to engage in the member upon whichsecured.

If preferred, the angle-plates may be pivotally connected together bymeans of a pin c5, similar to the pin c, but which is provided at itslower end with a transverse key c, which may be either removably securedin a seat in said pin or may be integrally or otherwise permanentlyconnected therewith, as preferred. In this construction the angle-platesC4 C5 are each provided with a central aperture, as before described,which is slotted on opposite sides, as shown in Figs. 13, 14E, to permitthe passage of the pin with its key therethrough. When the key is inplace, one of said bearingplates is turned with respect to the other atthe desired angle, thus arranging the key in position to lock saidplates together, as shown in Fig. 14.

The operation is as follows: The bearingplates may be constructed ofsections of angle-bar, channel-bar, or anv other structural metal of anydesired width or length cut to the desired size or of plates bent to thedesired shape and arranged one on the other. 1f preferred, however, thebearing-plates may be rigidly secured together at the desired angle ofintersection of the parts to be connected, and, if preferred, saidbearing-plates may be formed integrally by casting, forging, or in anysuitable manner of any desired length to afford a positive support andan elongated bearing for the members to be connected at their point ofintersection.

Obviously should it be desired to connect a greater number of crossedsills arranged at angles with each other any number of additionalbearing members or angle-plates may bev secured together by means of thesaid clamping-bolt, thus admitting of connecting any desired number ofintersecting members at varying angles with each other'.

Vhile I have described my construction as is applicable as a hay-rackclamp, I do not desire to be limited to this specific use for myinvention, as obviously the invention is capable of use wherever membersare to be connected upon and at an angle each with the other, and l donot desire to be limited to the specific construction herein shown anddescribed, as obviously many details of construction may be variedwithout departing from the principle of my invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. A cross-sill bearing-plate comprising anelongated plate adapted to engage between the sills and provided onopposite sides with a fiange adapted to bear against the sides of theIOO IIO

members connected, a plate arranged obliquely on the upper sill and aclamping-bolt engaging said plate and extending alongside of the jointacting to bind said sills together.

2. A clamp of the class described, comprising in combination, aplurality of anged plates adapted to be arranged in an angle with eachother and affording a bearing between cross-sills or the like, abearing-strap adapted to be arranged on and obliquely with the sillsabove the joint, a clamping-bolt engaging the ends of the bearing-strapof the. Lipper sill and extending below the lower and acting to jam thesame in positive engagement with said plates.

3. Across-sill bearing-plate of the class described, comprising ametallic plate having longitudinally and laterally directed ends :andhaving a iiange on each side thereof, one arranged along the end of thelongitudinal ends and the other arranged along the edge of thetransverse ends and a centrally-disposed projection on each side of theplate adapted to engage in sills and a clamping-bolt straddling thejoint and binding the sills together.

i. The combination with crossed sills of a clamping-bolt straddling thejoint, a plurality of ianged clamping-plates adapted to engage betweenthe sills and adjustable with respect to each other at varying angles.

5. The combination with crossed sills of' a clamping-bolt, binding thesame together, in-

dependently adjustable flanged plates arranged one upon the otherbetween said sills, means engaging the same from relative movement and aprojection on each plate adapted to engage in tbe sill.

6. In a device of the class described, flanged plates adapted to engageone upon and at any desired angle with the other with the flangedirected oppositely and means adapted to engage said plates together inadjusted position.

7. A clamping-plate of the class described comprising flanged platesarranged one upon and at an angle with the other with the flangeddirected oppositely, means locking said plates in adjusted position anda pin having pointed ends passing through each.

8. A middle bearing for crossed members comprising angle-plates toengage said crossed members, a central aperture in each plate, a pointedpin extending therethrough and adapted to engage in the crossed membersand interlocking means acting to hold said plates at an adjusted angle.

9. A clamp of the class described, comprising clamping-bolts and anintermediate twopart bearing each part having one or more lateralflanges and one or more projections on one of said plates adapted to fitinto apertures in the other.

l0. Aclamping-plate of the class described, a hooked clamping-bolt, arecessed bearingplate adapted to engage in the bend of said bolt,bearing-plates adapted to be engaged on the ends of said bolt anda'plurality of' adjustable flanged clamping-plates adapted to bearranged at different angles with each other with the anges thereofdirected oppositely.

In testimony whereof` I undersigned and subscribed my name in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

C. W. HILLS,

W. W. WITHENBURY.

